The Cafe
by JackHidden
Summary: A blonde and black haired man sit across from each other in a local cafe... will they connect or will the chance of a lifetime pass them by?


**IF YOU ARE WAITING FOR ME TO SUBMIT MORE TO "THE ANCIENTS" WELL SORRY TO SAY I AM DROWNING UNDER IT AND HAVEN'T DECIDED HOW I WANT TO PROCEED YET. BUT PLEASE BE PATIENT AND I WILL DO WHAT I CAN TO GET IT GOING.**

**THE FOLLOWING IS POSTED UNDER "MERLIN" AND MERTHUR BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON IT INPIRED THIS SHORT STORY. MERLIN AND ARTHUR DON'T SHOW UP SPECIFICALLY THEY ARE PRESENT IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.**

**WHILE I DO NOT OWN THE BBC'S MERLIN OR THE CHARACTERS I DON'T FEEL THAT I NEED TO SAY THAT I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS. THEY ARE MINE AND IF BBC WANTS TO BE ABLE TO CLAIM THEM THEN THEY CAN PAY ME FOR THEM. **

**IT'S A ONE-SHOT SO NO MORE AFTER THIS SORRY.**

The Café

Ben walked through the crowded coffee shop seeking out a place to set his stuff before he ordered his coffee and croissant. In the back room of the shop there was one more place. Ben laid his laptop down on the table and looked over to the two attractive university students at the table next to his asking them to watch this while he went an order.

The girls were more than likely no older than 22, blonde, a healthy attractive body type and weight. Even wearing the comfortable jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes they still looked quite attractive.

Ben returned with his order and set it next to his laptop. He used his hand to wipe the raindrops off of the aluminum case of his laptop from when he had walked from his car to the front door or the café.

Sitting down he began his normal routine of logging into the café's free wifi and checking his social network sites. No new requests on Twitter, there were a few interesting tweets from some celebrities that he followed. Facebook wasn't much more stimulating.. A few comments from some of his rather boring yet highly active "friends". He made a quick response to one post then left.

About this time a tall dark slim man came into the backroom. His strong brow shadowed over his strong yet seemingly sweet eyes. He too was scowering the café for a free place to wait for his order. The only available seat was in front of the large picture window that overlooked the street and park. He sat at the table that was intended for a group of four and began filling it's surface with enough things to coat it.

Ben watched out of the corner of his eye. He had a hard time convincing himself that this man was not very attractive to him.

The man laid a newspaper out flat covering much of the table. He had his wallet some loose change and bills and his cellphone littered around the table.

Ben tends to be a bit more orderly and he couldn't help but notice and be bothered by the man's seemingly odd behavior. 'Why doesn't he just put his money in that wallet and then put the wallet into his pocket like the rest of the civilized world?'

It was at this point that Ben noticed the feeling of a pair of eyes looking into him. Ben not wanting to scare away the glance decided to confirm what he was pretty sure he was feeling by adjusting his gaze to the park outside the window, still using his peripheral vision to monitor the man. The man's eyes took notice of Ben's adjusted gaze and matched it, he too looked outside at the park.

'Ah, so he is watching." Ben took advantage of the distraction of the man's gaze out the window and thought that now was his chance to get his own studying look of the man. Ben quickly looked at the man in general and in detail trying to put to memory as much as he could so that he could further analyze him after he had to break his stare.

It was in the middle of Ben's stare that the man turned back to look at Ben. Ben and the man shared a look for about 100th of a second before Ben looked back out the window.

The man realized that he was seen looked down at his paper, brushing his hand repeatedly through his hair.

When Ben began looking at his laptop screen it wasn't long before he felt those eyes upon him again.

Ben and the man played this staring, not staring game for a few more minutes. Ben began to wonder if he should do something that might take this to the next step so they might be able to talk. He began thinking maybe he could give up his table to someone else who is looking for a place in the packed café and then see if the man would welcome him at his oversized table. But Ben felt that was a bit too much to expect and if it didn't work or if he got cold feet all he would have done was lose his spot and have to leave the café.

'Hold on.' Ben began thinking. 'How do I even know that he even likes me? I am probably five years older than he is and I'm not in nearly as good of shape as he is… is this just all in my head?'

About then the barista was walking to the man's table and taking the number off she laid out his food order in front of the man. It was a wrap of some sort and it came with a little tub of dip.

Ben actually enjoyed watching the man eat—out of the corner of his eyes of course, The muscles in his face were strong and Ben could see the strong lines of his jaw and cheeks as he chewed. He really was quite attractive. The only thing Ben didn't care for was that since the food had arrived the man had stopped that adorable brushing of his curly black hair with his hand. Ben wondered he did that because he was nervous because it was awkward to be doing nothing while waiting for a food order all by himself or did he just always run his fingers through his hair when he is waiting for things?

Now that food was apart of the picture Ben felt that there really wasn't a smooth way to make his way over to the man's table.

Even though the man was distracted by his Ben realized that he missed those eyes looking at him.

After about five more minutes the man finished his wrap and much to Ben's disappointment the man was gathering his things and getting ready to leave. The man picked up his wallet then the coins and then the bills all with out putting the other things in his hand away. This nonsensical behavior bothered Ben but in a way that he decided he very much liked to be bothered.

As the man walked past Ben's table Ben a bit more boldly then before made sure to take in the gorgeous scenery that passed so close to him. He had never seen such beautiful denim pockets as the ones that tightly hugged the man's butt. From his hips to his chest the man was flat and fit and it drove Ben wild. Making him feel as if he lost his breath.

The man left the backroom and before long he was passing outside the window as the man walked to his car. Ben felt as if the chance of a lifetime had just passed him by.


End file.
